


Breathless

by hyrulefics (firemblemfics)



Category: Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Crack, Eventual Smut, Eventual relationship, F/M, Fluff, Legend of Zelda - Freeform, breath of the wild - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26944540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firemblemfics/pseuds/hyrulefics
Summary: Y/N is an ex-Yiga member searching for her siblings.Link is trying to stop the upcoming apocalypse.Together, they make a perfect traveling pair.- Cross-posted onto tumblr under @hyrulefics, and wattpad under @laysfics
Relationships: Link (Legend of Zelda) & Reader, Link (Legend of Zelda)/Reader, Link (Legend of Zelda)/You, Link/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Basic Info:  
> Reader is 18, with female pronouns.  
> Link is 19. Technically 119 whatev 
> 
> General Warnings:  
> Cursing, Fighting, Eventual Smut
> 
> That is all :) enjoy!

" _Psst_ ... Hiro... Kimi... Do you want to leave?"

"Leave?" A boy's voice echoed back. Hiro, 12 at the time.

"Yeah, from here. We need to."

"But won't they catch us?" A smaller voice asked. this time. Kimi, 6.

"Not if we do it now. The guards are switching shifts. Lets put on our suits and get out of here."

All you heard for confirmation was the ruffle of clothes as Hiro and Kimi slipped on their outfits and packed their few belongings. You looked around outside the curtain that separated your bedroom from the main room. Quietly, you led the two younger kids around the rock pillars that turned the room into the hellish labyrinth that had been your home for the past 7 years.

You held your breath around every twist and turn, the fear of possibly getting caught nearly paralyzing you. but you pushed on for your siblings. Finally, you saw stars.

The entrance of the Yiga Clan hideout was so close. You could reach out your hand and be free.

You could taste the fresh air and see the night sky, the stars getting even closer as you stepped carefully towards the entryway. They seemed to sparkle in morse code, praising you and encouraging you to continue forward.

The small streams of sand falling from the cliffs above near the entrance stung your eyes and the dust clouded around you, making you squint. Only a few more steps until you're free.

_"ACHOO!"_

A loud sneeze echoed through the canyon, nearly rumbling the rocks and causing an avalanche. You and Hiro turned and looked at Kimi in horror as she bashfully held her nose.

"Bless me."

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING?" A large Yiga member walked up from his position above the canyon. If Kimi wouldn't have sneezed, you would have passed him without being noticed.

"We were going to patrol the borders, sir." You answered quickly.

"There were already three chosen to go earlier." The member questioned.

"Yes sir, but it was deemed that they did an inadequate job. We were sent to resecure the borders."

The Yiga snarled. "Y/N. Hiro. Kimi. Where are you going? You can't lie to us."

"We're going to patrol the borders, like I said." You quickly picked up Kimi and grabbed Hiro's wrist, sprinting out of the entrance and across the soft sand.

Loud sirens wailed throughout the peaceful sky. The stars were blinking faster, as if saying, _"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"_

You didn't need to look back to know that Yiga members were hot on your trail. You'd teleport, but Hiro nor Kimi had mastered it yet, meaning you'd leave them behind. Suddenly, your eyes lit up.

"Hiro! take Kimi and keep running!" You called.

"What?" Hiro replies as you thrust her into his arms. "Y/N, no!"

"Run!" You screamed as you stopped.

You turned around to face the swarm of members chasing after you, pulling out your demon carver and preparing to fight.

· ·  ─────── · 𖥸 ·  ─────── · ·

You were sore.

Your bones, muscles, everything. They ached.

It was a struggle to open your eyes, but you did.

Sunlight flooded through the window beside you. The room smelled like expensive perfume and food. Your eyebrows furrowed- the Yiga hideout didn't have windows. Nobody cooked. Where were you?

Sitting up, you blinked again and looked out the window, your eyes adjusting to the harsh light. outside of the room was a town. Sand say in piles around the edges of the walls and on the yellow cobblestone ground. A cat, dressed in an emerald collar, stalked around the corner, looking up at you and purring before running after a mouse.

"Ah, you're awake." A voice came from the doorway behind you.

"Where am I?" You cautiously asked, not looking away from the window. Your hand stealthily crept to your pocket, which held a small knife. just in case.

"You're in Gerudo Town." You finally turned to see a tall lady walking towards you holding a tray of food, "You collapsed next to our ice house last night. Our ice keeper, Anche, fought off some pretty bad guys to save you. She brought you to us. She said those guys were definitely trying to kill you, probably still are."

"Don't scare the poor girl, Romah!" Another feminine voice came from the doorway. a slightly smaller lady stood there.

"Oh hush, she'll be fine. She needs to know." The taller one, Romah, waved her off.

"In case you didn't hear, she's Romah," The other one said, "I'm Tauma. We've given you potions and such to help you heal, but you've had some pretty nasty cuts. You'll have to stay here a while before you go back home, it's way too dangerous to leave in your condition."

You looked down in silence, "I don't have anywhere to go, so I guess I won't be in a rush to heal." You shrugged.

"What do you mean, darlin'?" Tauma pressed.

"Those bad guys were my home. Don't really wanna go back."

"Were you the only one there?" Romah questioned.

"No, I had two others," You explained, "but I made them run while I distracted them. They're my younger siblings."

"Really? How old are they? They couldn't possibly have gotten far."

"12 and 6. I think they will be okay, but I need to find them soon."

"Of course darling, say no more. We'll have you healed up and out of here in no time. But while we wait, have some lunch, I'm sure you're starved." Tauma pushed the tray of food towards you and ushered romah out, leaving you alone once again.

Your injuries were much more detrimental than expected, especially since you refused to rest in bed to heal. You had to move around and train.

Days spent with Romah and Tauma turned into weeks, which turned into months, which turned into a year until a letter appeared at the town from Kimi.

She said that she was safe in Hateno Village. No word on Hiro.

You stayed in Gerudo for four years. Four years since you had seen either of your siblings. Three since you began writing letters to Kimi back and forth. She was 10 now. You hadn't seen her grow up.

In exactly 30 minutes, it would be your 18th birthday, and you were leaving. After working the nightly love classes and running the inn with Romah and Tauma for so long, you were leaving.

After finally finding a loving home and family, you were leaving.

Your first stop was Kakariko Village, then to Hateno to find your sister. Then to the rest of Hyrule to find your brother.

You sighed and closed the curtains on your window, laying down and getting what little bit of sleep you could while being excited and nervous about tomorrow.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Good morning, old lady!"

The door to your room burst open, Tauma rushing in like a bull. She held pancakes with a lit candle stuck in the middle, running to your bed as Romah tried to stop her recklessness around an open flame.

You laughed, taking the plate from tauma and blowing out the candle, making a wish.

Tauma sat on the foot of your bed. "So what did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you, silly. Then it won't come true." You said.

"If I were you, i'd wish for love. A fine, muscular, tasty man who'd love me," She sighed dreamily and fell back onto the bed, "A man who'd love me day and night. especially night. Or a woman. That would be nice too..."

"Alright now, she's only 18." Romah chuckled, "I'd rather her not be thinking about boys."

"Okay, okay, mom." Tauma rolled her eyes, "Now eat up and get packed, you have a long journey ahead of you!"

With that, they left again, giving you your precious privacy.

After eating, you got out of bed and dressed in your (favorite color) gerudo outfit. You packed outfits for every weather possibility in your bag as well as weapons, food, and other supplies.

You stood at the entrance of Gerudo Town with the ladies of the town who had become your family over the last four years, saying your goodbyes. You hugged the last ones and turned to Romah and Tauma.

Tauma was bawling, her makeup smearing on her face and your shoulder as she squeezed you into a hug. Then you went to Romah, who wasn't openly crying. She had tears in her eyes and as you hugged her, you felt one slip out and land on the top of your head.

Taking one last look at my home, you boarded your sand seal and set off to Kakariko.


	2. Chapter 2

Kakariko Village was a sight to behold. The small town was embedded deep in a little dip of the mountains, the rocks themselves surrounding it on all sides. You were glad the horse that you had tamed, Taz, stayed on the path, for it was hard to keep your eyes on the road.

The area was just breathtaking.

You got off of Taz and led him around, searching for an inn to let you stay for a little while. Finding it on the other side, you didn't hesitate to ask for a room. The innkeeper was a nice, Sheikah man who kept yawning and hobbled around the front desk to show you to your quarters. It was just a bed and nightstand surrounded by privacy curtains, but it was enough. You didn't plan on spending all of your time there, anyways.

"We haven't had many visitors lately," The man, Ollie, yawned once more, trying to keep his eyes open and start a conversation. "Other than one dude that's been here for a few days."

"Really? Is he staying here as well?"

"Sometimes." Ollie responded. God, he was struggling to stay awake. Was he okay? "Sometimes he's here, sometimes he won't come back for the night. He's apparently a special traveler, according to Impa. We have to treat him real nice."

_Special?_ And he'd be staying next to you? Wow.

"I hope he's nice," you mused to yourself, "Special people sometimes let it get to their heads."

"He hasn't talked to anyone, I don't think. Might be a mute. Dunno." Ollie laid his head against his hand and in no time, he was back asleep. You sighed and left the snoring man to his nap, deciding to go to the stores.

High Spirits Produce was the shop that you entered. You and Taz had eaten all of the snacks that Romah and Tauma had packed, so you definitely needed more before traveling again.

You walked over to the swift carrots, wanting some for Taz, but they were swiped from your view as you went to grab them. Looking up in surprise, you came face to face with a pair of blue eyes that practically glowed in the soft light of the shop.

Those eyes seemed nervous, the person's eyebrows furrowing in some type of frantic anxiety.

"I'm sorry, could I have two of those? My horse is in the stable and he's hungry-"

The boy quickly slammed down a carrot and rushed to the counter, paying for the rest and practically running out of the shop.

Okay, weird. But he only left one...

You shrugged and paid for it along with the other items you had collected and left. Taz wouldn't be the happiest horse in the world- he always got two carrots. No more, no less- but you supposed that he would be subdued with an apple or two as a substitute.

Your mind went back to the boy that you saw. After many Gerudo classes on "men", you could tell that he was nervous and slightly uncomfortable. It was body language that the women were taught to recognize, lest they accidentally make the man uncomfortable.

His shoulders were tense and the stress lines across his face were abundant. He didn't say anything to you, which led you to believe that he was just anxious. But about what? It didn't seem quite like normal social anxiety. It tiptoed on the line of dread and pure panic- like the world could be ending soon and he was the only one who could stop it or something.

Shaking your head, you reached the small stable.

"Taz?" You called, "I've got snacks!"

Taz whinnied and you went to walk towards him, but stopped as you saw someone already in front of him.

It was the man from before. He had his head down, seemingly deliberately avoiding eye contact with you. In his hand was a swift carrot, a large bite in it that you assumed Taz had taken. He was feeding your horse.

"Um, hi. I don't think we've properly met." You carefully walked towards the blond man. "I'm Y/N."

"...Link."

"Link. I like it." You smiled. "But do tell me, I have a question."

Link turned to look at you, albeit hesitantly. "Yes?"

"Why are you running around here like a Cucco without its head? I've only seen you twice and you're acting like the world-"

"-Is ending. That's what Ollie said too..." Link sighed. It seemed as if he really didn't want to talk to a total stranger about this. You understood why, though. However, instead of saying anything, you remained silent, hoping that he would elaborate.

"This sounds a little crazy, but I promise it's not. The world could end soon and I'm the only one who can stop it."

Wh-

"What? That's ridiculous-"

"I'm the hero of legend, you know? Destined to stop Ganondorf?"

Wait wait wait.

This is the man that the Yiga Clan is trying to kill. The man that they had trained you and your siblings for years to be able to capture, before you left...

You still had to get your siblings, but you had an idea.

"So if you're supposed to be killing Ganondorf, why are you here?" You pushed.

"I had to make a stop here. Before I kill him, I have to go to some places around Hyrule to reactivate the Divine Beast that have gone... practically insane."

Around Hyrule, hm? "Let me come with you."

"What? Absolutely not."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not- I don't even know you."

"You'll get to know me as we travel." Link seemed to be at a loss for words, so you decided to elaborate. "Listen. I lost my siblings four years ago. One's in Hateno, and I have no idea where the other one is. I need to find them. Please, let me come with you. I'll stay out of the way of your hero duties or whatever. I can cook and fend for myself."

Link pondered it for a moment, his gaze falling back to Taz as the horse neighed for another carrot. As you gave him the one out of your bag, Link responded.

"Fine."


	3. Chapter 3

"That's so fucking stupid."

"What- No, you're fucking stupid."

"I'm just saying, the best course of action is to go down to Hateno from here, back up knock out the beast in the Lanaryu, then to Eldin. We can figure out the Gerudo and Tabantha one after that."

"Hateno is completely out of the way, Y/N. Why do you want to go there so badly? It would take two days tops to travel there, then go all the way back up to Zora Kingdom. It's so inconvenient."

"It-it's not a total waste of time! Look," You grabbed the map, pointing to Hateno Village, "It's in a different area, so there may be more, um, weapons. And resources and even some of those Shrine thingies you talked about!"

Link shook his head, still not convinced. "Why in Hylia's name are you so adamant about going there? The truth."

"My sister, Kimi, is there."

The blonde boy was still a bit confused. "Okay, and?"

"She's one of the ones I lost after... things happened. She's been sending me letters when she found out I was in Gerudo. I need to see her."

"Isn't she a kid? What, do you plan on taking her with us? Absolutely not, way too dangerous."

"No! No. Please, Link," You were begging at this point. "I need to make sure she's okay. Maybe- maybe she knows something about my brother too."

Link sighed a bit, but soon relented. He took the quill and drew a line down the path from Kakariko to Hateno, mapping out the best way to go.

The two of you continued to try and map the rest of the journey, the paper illuminated by the light of the lantern in the inn. Ollie was fast asleep at the counter, your talking doing nothing to stir him.

The cool night air seeped through the open window, making you shiver a bit. You stood up and closed the curtains, Link following suit and walking to his own bed.

"So, we leave tomorrow?" You stretched and began to pack your small travel bag.

"Hopefully. I just hope this doesn't affect anything... I think I'm on a time crunch." Link mumbled.

"You _think_?"

"I don't know anything, I told you! Some lady just talked to me and said that I needed to save this place. I didn't even know my name, much less whatever else I've got to do." He seemed stressed, so you sat down beside him on the bed. "I'm completely clueless."

"I'm sure there's some way you can try to regain your memories, right?"

"Impa said there's pictures on my... my Sheikah Slate. The little technology thing I showed you. If I go to those places maybe it'll kickstart something, but I'd rather save Hyrule than worry about that right now..."

"Maybe after, then" You hummed. "I can help out."

"Yeah."

That night, you tossed and turned in your bed. You were a jumbled mess of excitement and complete fear. There were so many possibilities while traveling with Link. You could meet new people, see new things, try new foods, fight monsters...

Maybe even find love. That was something Tauma always drilled into your head. It didn't matter who you loved as long as they loved you back just as much. She was a hopeless romantic, always making scenarios in her head where she'd meet her true love in some beautiful place at the perfect time.

Romah, on the other hand, was a little more realistic. While Tauma droned on about love and affection, Romah talked to you about more serious topics. Respect, trust, consent, all of it.

It was nice to learn about all of the dos and don’ts of love, but sometimes it seemed too much to handle. You could only hope that it was easier than it sounded.

Yawning, you looked over at the bed beside you. Link had left the curtain separating the two beds open, so his sleeping form was in full view, facing away from you. You felt a bit of pity for him. You knew what it felt like to be thrust into a new life with no direction.

That was the extent of your understanding, though. You left an abusive cult to live with some ladies in the desert. He woke up with no memories to save the world. Just a little different. A little.

You rolled over to your back. Tomorrow you would be in your way to see Kimi. Your heart lurched, the muddy mix of emotions making it unclear once again of your true feelings. You could only shake it off, closing your eyes and preparing for tomorrow.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Rise and shine, princess."

You groaned and grabbed your pillow, throwing it in the direction of Link's voice. Normally, it would be soothing to hear- he just has one of those nice voices- but you were not a morning person and his voice was nothing short of a nuisance.

"Y/N, we have to leave. The earlier, the better. C'mon."

"Fuck off."

"You were the one who wanted to travel with me. I can leave you here-"

"No, no." You huffed and sat up, barely opening your eyes as you yawned. "I just- it's not even dawn yet, Link."

"The earlier. The better." He reiterated, throwing the pillow back to you. "Get dressed. I'll get the horses ready."

You glared at Link's back as he left the inn before slowly getting up and grabbing clothes. It was a new outfit that you had bought in Kakariko, but it barely left room in your bag for anything else. You made a mental note to get a bigger bag and a few saddle bags for Taz before fixing up your hair and leaving.

You found Link sitting on a stack of hay, his own horse Epona beside him. Taz was a few feet away, deciding to be wary of those he wasn't well-acquainted with. As you approached, however, he whinnied happily and walked to you. Link followed closely with his own horse.

The sun was beginning to rise over the mountains as you and Link hopped on your horses and trotted off, heading to Hateno Village.


	4. Chapter 4

_Boring: (adj) not interesting; tedious_

_Synonymous with dull, uneventful, lame_

Out of all the synonyms for boring, you truly couldn't find one to fit the occasion. You had been riding with Link for four hours now, the sun finally rising to noon. You didn't know how much longer you could take.

Yeah, Link wasn't one for words. You figured that one out yesterday when you first met him. When he did speak, it was usually full of snarky, sarcastic comments that did nothing more than leave you annoyed. What you didn't know, however, was just how snarky he could be.

For a guy who had just woken up a week ago, Link was nothing short of a typical nineteen-year-old male.

If anything, he was worse.

Every word you said was rivaled with a smart-ass comment of his own, followed by his incessant snickering as you continued to get angrier and angrier.

You wanted to blame it on outside factors. You didn't eat breakfast and lunch was still about an hour away. Maybe you were hangry. You had to rule out that possibility after eating a snack and still getting annoyed at the blonde boy beside you.

You had to admit, Link was a bitch.

"Let's stop on that hill for lunch!" You finally opened your mouth again after twenty minutes, deciding to stay quiet to keep him quiet.

"Why that one? I like the hill next to it." Link bit back a smirk.

You sucked your teeth and tugged on Taz's reins, making him speed up in front of Link to get to the hill faster. As you approached it, however, you realized that the two of you weren't alone.

Quickly halting Taz, you held your hand out for Link to stop as well.

"What's that for?"

"That man. He's sitting there under the tree." You murmured to him.

"And? He could be hurt. We could go help him..."

"No, no-"

"Y/N, I'm supposed to be a hero, I've got to help." Link tried to push Epona forward, but you reached out and grabbed his wrist, delaying him once more. "What is your problem?"

You bit the inside of your cheek. How were you supposed to tell him that faking vulnerability was a Yiga tactic without telling him how you know such a thing? "He's suspicious."

"He's sitting there."

"Please, he's faking it-"

"You don't know that." With that, Link rolled his eyes and pulled his sleeve out of your grip, dismounting Epona and walking towards the man. You dismounted as well, putting your hand on the bow strapped to your back. When you got to Link's side, the traveler was already standing.

"It's a shame I have to end your journey so soon, Hero of Hyrule, but I've been waiting for this moment my whole life."

The man jumped up and flipped, revealing his Yiga armor and Duplex bow. Link jumped back for a moment and grabbed his sword, but you were quicker. You drew your own bow and shot, barely grazing the footsoldier as he disappeared.

"Ow, what the fuck?"

The voice appeared again behind you and you whipped around, now reaching for your Demon Carver as well. It was close to breaking, but you needed it.

You threw it like a frisbee as the Yiga drew his bow. Unfortunately, your toss was too slow to catch the enemy before he had also attacked, launching an arrow into your bicep.

You yelped as your carver finally hit him and knocked him down. Link took the opportunity to run up to him and slash the soldier with his broadsword. The Yiga groaned and struggled to stand up, but he did shakily.

He pointed to you. "We've been looking for you, too, little bitch. You and your little hero won't get far. That's a promise- Ow! Okay, okay, I'm leaving."

You rolled your eyes and lowered your bow, which had just shot the Yiga in the foot as he monologued. The movement hurt like a motherfucker, but you ignored it. The man disappeared and you sighed, rolling your eyes as you picked up the rupees he dropped. You handed them to Link.

"How- what- How did you- Who was that?" He stuttered, watching you as you put away your weapons.

"That is a Yiga Footsoldier. Don't tell me you never heard of them before." The look in Link's eyes confirmed your thoughts. "They're after you, dude. Sheikah who swore allegiance to Ganon. So of course they'd be after the Hero destined to defeat Ganon."

"How do you know all that?"

Ah, shit. How did you know all that? Certainly not because you used to be one of them...

"I read books, stupid."

"Ah, right..."

You silently praised yourself. It was true- you did read a book about the history of the Yiga clan, but you did so in the small library situated in their hideout. "Come on, we need to keep going. Lunch can wait." You didn't want any more soldiers showing up.

"Wait, wait, didn't you literally just get an arrow to the arm?"

"It's fine-"

"No, what the fuck? It's still in your arm."

Rolling your eyes again, you gripped onto the arrow and yanked it out. You had to bite your lip to remain silent, trying to seem unfazed. If there was one habit that you had kept from the Yiga, it was to never reveal your feelings and always keep people at arms length. You'd rather not have Link see how hurt you were and have him care about you or some shit.

Your actions seemed to illicit a different reaction than intended. Link walked up and grabbed your uninjured arm, whistling for Epona.

"Sit. I can help bandage it up and we can rest here for an hour or two. I'll cook, too."

You furrowed your eyebrows. "I'm fine."

"You have a hole in your arm."

"I am fine."

"You are not."

With that, Link practically pushed you onto the grass as he reached into one of Epona's saddlebags, pulling out bandages and medicine. He sat in beside you and looked at you expectantly. You only groaned and rolled up your long sleeve, wincing as the fabric moved over the wound. Your sleeve was completely coated in blood and you were still losing more, but your nonchalance was seemingly driving Link up the wall.

He worked quickly as he poured a bit of water over the wound, drying it and applying ointment before bandaging it tightly. He still didn't let go of you arm after finishing, instead brushing his fingers lightly across the scars that littered everywhere on your arms.

"Are you done-"

"What happened?"

You both spoke at once. You knew Link probably assumed the wounds were caused by you.

"The people I was forced to be with- before I went to Gerudo- were tough. They didn't hold back in training and stuff." It was the truth, you just didn't say who the people were.

"Are there more?"

"Practically everywhere." You laughed truly. "My past was kind of troubled, dude. I'm fine now. I'm free."

Link only stayed quiet, looking down at your arm again before giving it a soft squeeze and standing up. "I'm gonna cook for lunch. Just- just rest. You lost a lot of blood."

You nodded and laid back on the grass, staring up at the clouds. The ones farther away seemed pretty dark. You would have to watch out for rain later in the day, you supposed.

Closing your eyes, you continued to let your mind drift. Why was Link so worried, anyways? You'd known each other for two days. It's not like that's enough time to care about someone. Right?

Your head started to throb along with your arm and you knew that you had been thinking way too hard for way too long. Taking a deep breath once more, you dozed off to the smell of lunch.


	5. Chapter 5

" _There!_ I can see it in the distance!"

"See what?"

"Hateno, you dipshit!" You were glad happy to be near the village- Link was truly getting on your nerves.

After a few minutes, you arrived at the town's entrance. Two guards stood by and smiled as you passed through. You led the way, not noticing Link's sudden quietness.

You pulled a piece of paper out of your pocket- a letter your little sister had sent describing her house. It was hard to read under the light of the quickly-setting sun, but you managed.

Link looked over your shoulder, his breath hitting your ear. It sent an unintentional chill through you, but you ignored it in favor of finding your sister.

"It says she lives in a ' _big house with a red roof'._ " You looked around. "All of these buildings look like that. What should we do?"

Link only shrugged, his eyes scanning the buildings. You folded back up the letter and sighed, walking to the closest house and knocking on the door. A woman, probably in her forties, opened the door.

"Why hello there!" She smiled at the two of you, "What are your names?"

You couldn't help but smile back- she was sweet! "I'm Y/N." You looked at the blond boy beside you, gesturing for him to answer.

Instead, Link avoided eye contact with the lady. You furrowed your eyebrows, confused as he lifted his hands and began spelling his name in Hylian Sign Language. You were glad the Yiga made you learn it.

The woman looked at you and you smiled sheepishly. "He's Link. Um, we were wondering if you knew where a girl named Kimi lives?"

"Oh, Kimi! Such a sweet girl!" The woman points down the road, "Go down there and turn right, she lives with her parents in the third house on the left."

"Thank you so much!" You turned away, walking down the road as Link caught up to you. "Say, what was that? Why didn't you talk to her?"

Link glanced around, as if making sure nobody was near to hear him. "I just... can't talk if I'm uncomfortable."

"You should've at least said hi-"

"No, like, I don't have a choice." His throat sounded like it was slightly closing up. "Around a lot of people or things I just can't talk. I'll open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Sometimes I can't even open my mouth."

"So, how can you talk around me?" You felt bad for asking so many questions, but Link was your traveling partner and at this point- dare you say it- your friend. You just wanted to know about him and know what to do.

"It was weird at first, but you- you don't make me uncomfortable. You certainly did at first, though." He laughed, "I thought you were gonna kill me for messing with your horse."

You joined him laughing and shook your head. "No, no, I'm not mean." He gave you a look, "Sometimes. Just- don't do anything you're uncomfortable with. I'm not the best at it, but I know a little sign language. We'll both try our bests."

Link only nodded, whispering a small 'thanks' as you both approached the house. Your heart was beating out of your chest. Nerves almost consumed you, but Link comfortingly laid a hand on your shoulder, giving you a reassuring smile. You took a deep breath and rested your hand on top of his before knocking on the door. This time, a younger couple opened the door.

"Yes?"

"Um, I'm looking for-"

"Y/N!"

A little girl barreled her way between the couple, wrapping her arms around your waist and shoving her face into your stomach. You couldn't help but tear up as you hugged the girl back.

"Kimi... it's been so long. You're so big."

The couple still stood in the doorway, confused until the lady spoke up. "Are- are you her big sister?"

You nodded. "I just came to say hi."

"Come in, stay a bit! I'm Ameil, he's Laslow." She responded, "Not a day goes by where Kimi doesn't have you on her mind. The least we can do is give you both a place to stay for a little bit."

You went to politely decline, saying that you would stay at the inn nearby to avoid being a burden, but Kimi agreed for you before grabbing your hand and pulling you into the house. The couple and Link followed closely behind, the latter staying silent.

Ameil sat on the couch, beckoning for the two men to come with her. They followed and sat down while Ameil immediately began chatting away.

You, on the other hand, were sitting on the floor next to Kimi, who was showing you a drawing she had made. It was of you, her, and Hiro holding hands. There was a smile on everyone's face- you laughed, but your heart ached for your still-missing brother.

As you were still looking at the picture, Kimi glanced over your shoulder to see Link looking at you worriedly. He seemed like he wanted to get your attention, but couldn't get away from Ameil. She was asking him questions so quickly that he couldn't respond even if he was able to.

"Y/N, I think your boyfriend wants you." She tapped on your leg and pointed at Link.

Your eyes widened and you tried to conceal your blush. "He's not my boyfriend." You replied, patting her head as you went over to them.

"Oh hi!" Ameil smiled, "I was just asking Link here about how you both met."

"He doesn't talk much." You shrugged. Link didn't want a big deal to be made about his literal inability to speak, so you weren't going to make it a deal at all. "But we met in Kakariko. Just... decided to be traveling partners since we were going the same way."

"Really? And where's that?" Laslow entered the conversation, now seemingly interested in the small talk.

"Oh, don't mind him, he's always been big on traveling-"

"Well, Link's got his own personal mission to go through and I just need to... scour Hyrule to find my brother, Hiro." You cut off Ameil- no offense to her, she just talked over everyone and you weren't one to be pushed around.

"Hiro?" Kimi's head perked up. "You're going to get Hiro? I want to come."

Your heart dropped to the floor. You really didn't want to tell her that she couldn't come. Link's personal mission was to fight bad guys and save the world- it was too dangerous for her. Link laid a comforting hand on your knee as you readied yourself to deny her, but Ameil beat you to the catch. What a surprise.

"Oh, no you don't, Kiki!" She practically scolded, "I am not letting my daughter go out with people we don't know, much less travel across the country with them."

"Call me Kimi." She huffed softly before whining a little louder. "She's my sister! My real sister! I trust her not-boyfriend too!"

Link looked at you confusedly, but you waved a hand to dismiss him, signaling that you'd explain later.

It was Laslow's turn to talk to her. "Kimi, no. It's too dangerous and you're too young."

Kimi stomped her foot and crossed her arms. "I want to go with her! She's my real sister, you're not even my real parents!"

Ameil gasped and Laslow practically growled, "Go to your room!"

Your sister let out a wail before turning on her heel and running to her room. You jumped at she slammed the door. Link squeezed your knee with the hand that was still resting on it, and you placed your hand on top of his.

Less than a second later, Ameil had a grin plastered back onto her face and she clasped her hands together. "Well! I believe it's time for bed! We've got one guest room, I hope that's okay!"


	6. Chapter 6

The house was silent as you and Link made your way to Ameil and Laslow's spare bedroom. You wanted to comment on the fact that you'd have to share the room- and by default, the bed- but Link already seemed very, very uncomfortable and you didn't want to push him.

But unfortunately, it was something that had to be addressed as you walked into the room to find a less-than-ideal sized bed shoved in the corner of the room.

It was just a full sized bed- larger than the one you had in Gerudo Town- but it was no King. Or even Queen. You and Link would be sleeping quite close tonight. You could only he would be okay with it to avoid trouble, but by the look of his face, you knew he was iffy.

"I can sleep on the floor." You offered. It wouldn't be much of a change from the dirt you slept in at the Yiga hideout.

Link whipped around to you, almost offended. You couldn't tell if it was a joking look or not. "I'm not letting you sleep on the floor. What kind of hero would I be to let a damsel in distress sleep on the hard floor?"

"Oh, no, it'll be fine!" You reassured him, "I'm used to it."

"I'll sleep on the floor, it's okay- wait, you're used to it?" You could finally tell that Link was indeed joking at first, because now his demeanor turned serious and concerned. "I thought you lived in Gerudo?"

Goddess, you didn't want to tell him where you were from. You panicked for a second, trying to find a little white lie to cover your butt.

"I- uh, I used to like to take naps on the floor. They just hit different than bed naps."

_Nice save, Y/N._

Link quirked an eyebrow. "Okay, well, this isn't a nap. It's like, an eight-hour sleep. A sleep that you should be on the bed for."

"But- okay, whatever. We'll share the bed, how about that? Now I'm going to shower, goodnight." You didn't mean to snap like that, but your previous slip up made you anxious to get away from the situation.

With that, you grabbed your small travel bag and walked into the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom, leaving Link standing there. You walked to the tub, which was already filled with water and being warmed with hot stones underneath, curtesy of Ameil, and began undressing.

The water was the perfect temperature as you slipped into it, making you sigh in relief. As you grabbed the shampoo bottle on the edge of the tub, you thought back to Kimi.

Your heart clenched. She was so distraught to hear that she couldn't join you.

You felt a bit of resentment towards Ameil and Laslow for yelling at your sister, but you also felt for them. They probably found her when she and Hiro ran away and took her in. Sure, they're not her real parents, but it was rude of her to rub that in their faces.

You washed off the shampoo and began washing the rest of your body.

Were you a bad sister for staying in Gerudo Town for so long? For not even looking for her or Hiro? Guilt flooded your veins- you definitely were a bad sister. You'd taken care of them throughout your Yiga days, why couldn't you find them sooner and still be with them? Your little sister got parents before you did, and you can't even find your brother. You were ashamed of yourself.

"Hey, Y/N, are you okay in there? You've been in there for a long time." Link's voice knocked you out of your self-loathing and you hesitated to answer, quickly wiping your eyes of tears that you didn't even notice falling at first.

"Y-Yeah." Damn it. Your voice cracked. "I'm about to get out."

"You're not okay."

You only swallowed as you stepped out of the tub, wrapping a towel around your body. "It's fine, Link, I promise nothing's wrong."

He already had too many burdens to carry. You weren't about to put yours on his shoulders as well.

"Are you dressed? I'm coming in."

" _Wait what?_ Link, no-"

The door creaked open, showing one of Link's blue eyes. His face flushed as he saw you in just a towel, but he kept his eyes trained on your face. Slowly, he stepped all the way in.

"I'll ask again- are you okay?"

You looked at him, practically bewildered. "I was until a psychopath just walked in on me bathing!"

"You're not bathing anymore, though, and you're covered up!" He defended. "You cry really loudly, did you know that? What was I supposed to do when I heard it, just leave you alone?"

"Uh, yeah?" You responded, and then sighed. "I was just thinking about Kimi, is all. I'm okay now, Link, I promise. Let me get dressed and then we can go to bed."

He gave you a look, making sure you knew that he didn't believe you, before closing back the door. You rolled your eyes, but couldn't help the small smile that crept up your lips. Sure, it was a little weird that he walked in on your bath time to make sure you were okay, but at least he checked on you. You supposed that meant he cared about you.

You hadn't had people care other than Romah and Tauma. And Hiro and Kimi, but you were sure Hiro probably hated you now. He was always an angsty one.

Your smile slipped back into a frown, but you quickly shook your head and left the bathroom.

Link was standing on the other side of the room, gazing out of the window as he took his tunic off. You blushed and looked away, trying to keep your eyes off of his very toned chest. You'd give him time to put on a night shirt before looking back.

"Shit," he cursed quietly, "There's a blood moon tonight."

You looked up, but immediately covered your eyes. _"Why are you just in your underwear?!"_

Link was startled. "I'm going to bed?"

"In your underwear?"

"Yes? At least I'm not naked." He walked to the bed in the corner and pulled off the covers, but waited. "Do you wanna sleep next to the wall or should I?"

You were still trying to fight the blush off of your face. "I don't care- why?"

"Can you sleep next to the wall? Since the blood moon's out, I'd feel better if you were there so I could protect you if something happened. Who knows how many monsters are going to crawl around and find their way into the village."

You were about to comment that most monsters stay away from the insides of the villages, but decided against it when you saw Link give you a look that was virtually impossible to say no to. His bright eyes were wide and pleading while his bottom lip was jutted out in a small pout. Your heart fluttered at the look and you sighed, settling into the bed before he followed suite.

For a few minutes, you were too awkward to even move an inch. You were faced away from him as he laid on his back, absentmindedly drumming his fingers against his abdomen.

"So, why were you crying?"

Goddamnit. You'd hoped he would've just dropped the subject, but you should've known that Link was one nosy motherfucker. All adventurers were. That's why they travelled.

You stayed silent for a moment, before sighing again. You seemed to do a lot of that lately. "Am I a bad sister?"

"Elaborate."

You pondered how to word your explanation without giving away your past. "I ended up in Gerudo Town after I blacked out in the desert. One of the ladies found me and brought me there, injured. My brother, Hiro, and Kimi weren't with me." You left out the part where you told them to run. Where you'd tried to sacrifice yourself for their safety. "I stayed in town for four years before deciding to leave and find them. Four years, Link. I left them for so long."

The bed shifted and a hand laid itself against your back, rubbing small circles against the tense muscles. "You were hurt. I'm sure you had a good reason to stay for that long. Kimi doesn't seem to harbor any ill feelings towards you- at least you came back. I'd take waiting four years for someone to come back over them never coming back."

You didn't have a good reason to stay for that long. You should've gone when you had the chance. Maybe then, you'd be able to find Hiro as well. Link's words were reassuring, but the demons in your head were a lot louder than his soft voice.

You turned towards him, making him withdraw his hand and place it next to his face on the pillow. You didn't want to talk about it anymore, knowing you'd have to leave Kimi again tomorrow.

"I guess." You gave Link a tight-lipped smile. "Thanks for listening."

He returned your smile, except his was softer- more comforting. You ignored the tiny tug in your heart. "I'm sorry I couldn't say more. I'm not the best with people, as you've seen. It just comes with being asleep for a hundred years." He joked.

You laughed and Link's smile turned into a grin, happy that he made you feel a little better. He reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind your ear, his thumb brushing against your cheek as you flushed. You closed your eyes and relished the feeling of his hand on your face, practically in heaven at the contact. You supposed being a captive since your earliest memories made someone rather touch-starved. You began to doze off, comforted by the person beside you.

"Goodnight," Link whispered, "We've got a long day tomorrow."


End file.
